Thomas and The Master of the Railway
by Darkknight55
Summary: When a new face appears on Sodor, Thomas and his friends find themselves the targets of a very dangerous crime lord. Now, they must protect their new friend, and bring an end to this terror. Rated T for some coarse language and more mature themes.
1. The Mystery Man

A/N: Welcome, everyone, to my first adaption of a Thomas and Friends movie! Well, two technically, since this is a mashup of Hero of the Rails and Thomas and the Magic Railroad, but regardless. I have no idea how long this story will be, since I'll mainly be doing this by ear, but I hope to give you all something you can enjoy. There won't be too much happening in this chapter, as it's mostly introduction, but I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Thomas and Friends, or any characters (unless I decide to insert OCs, but that is highly unlikely).

Chapter 1: The mystery man.

It was the early hours of the morning, before the sun was up. A figure darted across the silent yard, the sound of barking dogs chasing after him.

"Get him! Don't let him get away!" Another voice called. The man turned corner after corner, pushing barrels and piles of scrap behind him to slow the men chasing him down. At last, he saw a goods train leaving the yard. Acting fast, he quickly jumped into one of the vans, squeezing himself between the empty boxes. By the time his pursuers had reached the yard, the train had already pulled out of the station.

"Oh great," moaned one of the two, "Boss won't be happy about this."

"This is all your fault," said the other.

"No, it isn't, it's yours."

"It's yours!

"Yours!"

"Yours!"

(The next day, at Brendam Docks)

Henry walked out of the cab and stretched his legs. Although most people hated to be up at this hour, he didn't mind. He loved taking The Flying Kipper, as it gave him a chance to see the sunrise. Besides, he always got a chance to catch up on sleep afterwards. As the men unloaded the empty boxes of fish form the vans, he was getting the engine ready to take back to the sheds. Just as he got ready to leave, however:

"Hey, what kind of joke is this?"

Curious, Henry went to see what was the matter. There, awkwardly resting between the boxes, was a man in his mid-thirties, with mangled black hair and cuts all over his body.

"Is he alive?"

"Just passed out. Looks like he's in bad shape. I've already called for an ambulance, but Sir Topham Hatt will definitely want to talk with him."

Soon enough, the ambulance arrived, and the man was sent to Wellsworth hospital.

(Later)

The man slowly awoke to find himself in a hospital bed, with a rather stout looking man and several police officers surrounding him. The Stout one spoke first.

"My name is Sir Topham Hatt," he said sternly, "And I do not appreciate stowaways on my trains. However, I am willing to forgive this incident, but I must know what you were doing on the train? Not to mention why you are so banged up."

With a very hoarse voice, the man spoke.

"My name is Hiro," he said softly, "And I was escaping."

"From what?"

"From the worst human being to walk the earth."

And Hiro began to tell his story.

A/N: And, done! Sorry that it's rather short, but I didn't want to go too far since this is just the beginning. In the next chapter, we will find out more about Hiro and his story. Anyway, let me know what you guys think!


	2. Hiro's Story

Chapter 2: Hiro's Story

(Flashback, Hiro narrating)

It all started many years ago, in my home country of Japan. You see, I was not a very wealthy man, and I barely managed to get by. I was forced to borrow money from someone. Unfortunately, the man was a Yakuza crime lord, as I found out the hard way. He kept on adding interest onto the loan, making it impossible for me to pay him back. As punishment, I was forced into slavery.

For years, I suffered under his cruel treatment. If I did anything ever so slightly wrong he would beat me and refuse to give me any food. He told me that I was he owned me now, and that I should be grateful that he hadn't killed me yet. I wish that he had, for living with him was a fate worse than death. Then, several months ago, he sold me to an associate of his in Barrow-in-Furness. And despite how harsh he was, my new master was even worse.

His name was PT. Boomer, although we were told to call him master. His underlings would call him Diesel 10, although we never found out why, and thus we called him that behind his back. He would make us work in his chop shop from sun up to sundown, cutting up old cars and machinery. If we even stopped for a minute, he would be us until we "learned our lesson." Our food was barely enough to sustain us, and we were forced to sleep on cold hard floors. I knew that I could not last much longer under these conditions, and thus I planned my escape.

Several of his other slaves helped me escape. Whilst I climbed out a window, they distracted his lackeys so that they did not hear me. I had just managed to get out when a loud siren sounded, and his tracking dogs started barking. I knew that I had been caught, and although I feared what would happen to the souls that helped me escape, I knew that if I did not start running I would be worse off than them. I made it to the main yard, where I saw a train about to leave. Seeing my chance, I hopped into a van just as you left the station. I must have passed out from exhaustion along the way. And that is how I found myself here.

(End Flashback)

Sir Topham Hatt and the policeman stared in horror at the story they had been told.

"Oh my," remarked on of the policeman, "This is rather serious."

"Indeed," said Sir Topham Hatt, "Don't worry, Hiro. You are safe here."

"I wish that were the case," said Hiro, "But by now Diesel 10 is sure to have found out about my escape, and will be coming after me. And I guarantee you, he will stop at nothing until he has me."

"Not on our watch," said one of the policeman as he and his partners headed towards the door, "We'll make sure that he doesn't get you. It's high time that this man be put behind bars for his actions."

Before he left, Sir Topham Hatt turned to Hiro.

"Don't you worry, Hiro," he said, "We'll all make sure that this man be brought to justice for what he has done to you and many others. That I can promise you."

And with that he left, leaving Hiro to his thoughts.

(Meanwhile, on the mainland)

"WHAT!" A voice shouted inside an office. In front of him were the men from the other night. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN No. 34 ESCAPED!"

"Um, well, uh, you see boss- "

"We only turned our backs for a minute. He must be a magician or something."

"Yeah, a magician. Or he used an invisibility cloak."

The figure just facepalmed.

"Listen here, Splodge- "

"Uh, actually its Splatter."

"And Dodge."

"I DON'T HAVE TIME TO SAY BOTH NAMES! He must have gotten a ride to Sodor. The trains are the only things leaving this place that early in the morning."

The man stood up and got his coat.

"Get ready, boys. We're going on a trip. And when we get back, I'm going to have a little talk with that idiot about how we handle property."


	3. First Encounter

Chapter 3: First encounter

That night, Sir Topham Hatt had a meeting at the sheds where he told his employees Hiro's story. Everyone just sat there for a moment, taking it all in.

"It's unbelievable that anyone could do such a thing," said Thomas after a minute.

"Inconceivable!" said Gordon, "Why its… its…Disgraceful!"

"Disgusting!"

Despicable!"

"Ooch aye," said Donald, "I fear that me and Douggie may have suffered a similar fate if we had stayed in Scotland. The mob is no joke, that's for sure."

"I'm glad that you all feel that way," said Sir Topham Hatt, "Now, the doctor has cleared Hiro to leave the hospital, however he has no place to stay. Since we have some extra room, I agreed to let him stay here and work on the railway. I trust that you will all make him feel welcome."

Everybody agreed. Within an hour, Hiro arrived at the house. Henry helped him in, and everybody had a nice dinner.

"So, what will you be doing here?" asked Percy.

"Helping around the yard, mostly," said Hiro, "But it doesn't really matter to me. I'm just glad to actually be doing some paid work again."

"What is Japan like?" Asked Duck.

"Oh, it is a lovely country," said Hiro happily, "I do hope I can return there someday."

And the rest of dinner was spent with Hiro regaling them with stories of his homeland. Everyone listened very intently, and had a wonderful evening.

(Meanwhile)

"Are you sure he's there?" An imposing figure asked.

"100%, boss," said one of his lackeys, "Our spies confirmed that he was released from the hospital earlier and is staying at the Tidmouth engine driver house."

"Excellent," said the man, "Get Pinchy ready. We're going to give those fools the scare of their lives."

(Later that night)

Soon, everybody was fast asleep. Hiro was rooming with Edward on a blow-up mattress. All was silent, until…

CRASH!

Everybody jumped awake at the noise.

"What's going on?" asked Hiro.

"I don't know, but I'm about to go and find out," said Edward, "You had better stay here. Something tells me that we've got trouble."

When he reached the common room, he found everyone staring at a large hole where the wall facing the tracks once was. He gaped at what he saw. There, looming in front of them, was a large warship diesel with a menacing claw on the roof. Standing before them was a tall, menacing figure. He was dressed in all black, an at seven feet towered over them. Instead of a right hand, he had a metal claw.

"Now listen up and listen good," the man snarled, "Cause I'm only going to say it once. You have something that belongs to me, and I want it back. However, I prefer not to get my hands dirty. So, I'm going to make you all a deal. Hand him over to me, and I'll leave you and your outdated railway alone. Refuse, and I will make your lives a living hell. There is nowhere you can run where I won't be there, I can assure you. I advise you to make your decision wisely."

"No way will we ever hand Hiro over to you," said Percy crossly.

"We'll make sure that you get locked away for good," Henry added.

"Fine," Diesel 10 said, "Have it your way. But don't say that I didn't warn you."

And with that, he charged at them. Whilst everyone tried to push Diesel 10 back, Edward snuck away. In a matter of second, Diesel 10 had Donald in a chokehold.

"Oh no you don't!" Douglas roared before slamming a pipe onto the back of Diesel 10's head. This stunned him long enough for Donald to elbow him in the gut and get away.

"Thanks for the help, brother," he told Douglas.

"Aye, don't mention it," said Douglas, "Consider it thanks for getting the old Morris off my back."

The fight went on for several minutes, and although Diesel 10 was starting to tire, everyone else was exhausted. Just then, they heard police sirens in the distance.

"Shit!" said Diesel 10, and quickly got into his diesel. But when he tried to start it, he found that it wouldn't budge.

"Bother," he grumbled, "Splodge! Get your diesels and push us back to the hideout."

As they rolled away, Diesel 10 called back: "Enjoy tonight while it lasts, you fools. You aren't going to like tomorrow."

Soon, they were gone. Just then, Edward walked up.

"And where have you been while we defended our friend?" Gordon asked crossly.

"Buying us some time," Edward replied, "I poured sugar into his diesel's fuel tank. It'll take a while for him to clean it out. Hopefully enough time for us to prepare for when he comes next.

He looked as cop cars arrived on the scene.

"Come on," he sighed, "We better go explain this to the boys in blue."

(Elsewhere)

Splatter and Dodge watched silently as Diesel 10 crossly cleaned out his engine's fuel tank.

"Stupid engine drivers," he grumbled crossly, "This will take me ages to clean out. They're going to get it next time we meet, mark my words."

"Erm, what now boss? Splatter asked.

"What next?" Diesel 10 asked as he rose, his whole body shaking. "What next?"

Splatter and Dodge gulped. They knew what was coming next.

Suddenly, Diesel 10 swerved his whole body around, veins looking like they were ready to burst out of his neck.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS NEXT!" he roared. "We take back what's mine. Those fools may have won tonight, but tomorrow is another day. One where they won't be triumphant in, I gurantee it."

He then turned around, getting ready to continue cleaning out the tank.

"Preapre yourselves, Splodge," he muttered, "We're going to war."


	4. What Comes Next

Chapter 4: What Comes Next

The engine drivers spent a good hour explaining to the officers what had happened. Afterwards, they held a meeting in one of the bedrooms.

"It seems that this attack was meant to send us a message," Edward said, "It is obvious that Diesel 10 is rather serious about taking back Hiro, and will do anything to get him.

"Yes," continued Toby, "And I fear that if we don't do something, he will destroy us all."

"Even a strong person like me?" asked Gordon.

"Yes, Gordon, even you."

"This is all my fault," sighed Hiro, "I brought him to Sodor, and now all of you are in grave danger. I should just turn myself in. That way you all will be safe at least."

"No," said Duck, "No, you don't get to blame yourself for the actions of a madman. We all agreed to protect you, and that is what we will do."

"Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Since that matter has been take care of," Edward continued, "We need to talk about living arrangements."

Everyone turned to the gaping hole in the wall.

"Obviously, we will have to find new living quarters for a while," he continued, "However, it would not be wise to put everyone in danger in the case of another attack. I suggest that we all spread out. That way, Diesel 10 won't go after all of us. Likewise, I suggest that Hiro rotates around our living quarters. That way Diesel 10 will have a harder time located where he lives."

Everybody agreed, and thus the arrangements were made. The mainline engine drivers stayed at a nearby hotel, while those who worked on the branch lines stayed where their respective houses were. It was decided that Hiro would stay at each spot for three days each, starting with the Knapford hotel.

(The next day)

Things quieted down the next day. Although everyone was tired, they knew that there was still work that needed to be done. Thus, everyone shook it off and got to work.

At the junction, Thomas and Gordon were discussing the recent events.

"I do hope that Edward's idea works," Thomas said.

"As do I," said Gordon, "I don't feel safe with everybody split up like this. It's as if its everyone for themselves."

"Scared that he'll beat you up, are you Gordon?" Thomas laughed

"Nothing of the sort, little Thomas," Gordon huffed indignantly, "I just believe that there is strength in numbers. But with everybody spread thin like this, we have a smaller chance of successfully fending him off if he does attack."

"Well, that maybe," Thomas agreed, "But if it means that Hiro is safe, then that is all I care about at the moment."

Unbeknownst to the two of them, two suspicious looking men were watching them from a siding.

"Sounds important," said the one on the right, "We better get this information to the boss."

His partner agreed, and they drove off in a black van. Luckily, Toby had overheard their conversation.

"That cannot be good," he thought, and followed them in his tram. After a good drive, he arrived at the smelter yards. It was a dreary place, with long scrapped engines filling the siding. He saw the van enter a small shed, and moved to a place where he would not be seen. Although he could not see who they were talking too, he knew it was Diesel 10.

"Are you sure?" Diesel 10 snarled.

"Positive," said Splatter, "They've split up the living arrangements, and the slave is moving between them on a routine. We overheard two of them talking about it at Knapford junction.

"Can't get much more positive than that."

"Excellent," said Diesel 10, "Good work, Splodge. Now where is my property currently being kept.

It was at this point that the two fell silent.

"Er, well, you see, the thing is…"

"Uh, we didn't stick around long enough to find out."

Diesel 10 just face palmed.

"Well find it out, lamebrains. I will have what is mine, even if I have to tear apart the whole island to get it."

At this point, Toby snuck off. He knew that he had to get this information back to his friends immediately. Their safety, as well as the safety of Hiro, depended on it.


End file.
